Why and what next? As of now the project is not completely finished. I intend on adding some pictures to the side of the box to make it even more person. I think that I may incorporate a picture frame into the sides of the box so that photographs can be swapped out depending on…

An update on my project. By this time, I have completed all of the re-design for my new main project idea. The plan for the next two weeks is to purchase material, start cutting out the panels for my design, and assemble! With senior design at hand as well, it’s been a tough time for…

Throughout this semester I had a goal of making a woodwind instrument in this class. My upcycle project had the functionality that I wanted but lacked an aesthetic. I decided to change this and improve on it with iterations throughout the semester to achieve a functional product that also looked good. I put a lot…

Since this blogpost is late, I am going to highlight the actual timeline of this project: March 27th – March 31st – Test plywood cuts on laser cutter April 1st – April 3rd – Brainstorm and Re-design April 17th – 20th – Manufacturing (cut pieces to size, machine the insert and assemble) April 22nd –…

For my final project I set out to make a woodwind instrument modeled after an alto saxophone. I started this idea with my up cycle project at the beginning of the semester and I was very pleased with how it came out. I made it out of PVC pipe and was able to make it…

Reflecting upon my project, I am mostly pleased with what I did, considering the re-design and also the poor timing with senior design. I definitely wanted to make something I would proudly put in my room. As I had mentioned in my presentation to my pod, I have a strong tie to furniture/furnishings I put…

For my final project I decided to make a lock box for my girlfriend Eve who is currently studying abroad in Argentina. On Valentine’s Day before she left I gave her this key and a lock and told her that I will have this box filled with everything that she missed out on in her…

For my final project, I decided to make a bedside lamp with an integrated drawer. I originally had the idea of making a dynamic lamp/storage unit that rotates about a metal post: However, after doing some test cuts over spring break, I realized that the time it would take in order to cut all the…

The model boat did not come out exactly as I wanted it to, but that leaves a lot of room for improvement! The next step I envision for this project is a more high-quality boat, first and foremost. I will research building waterproof, CG (center of gravity) accurate boats this summer and hopefully get started…

For my final project, I planned on making a lamp/storage unit for my jewelry that rotates about a post for customizability. These are the top 5 constraints I had with that initial design: Laser Cutting time – in order to cut plywood, I need to use the BTU lab’s laser cutter which are scheduled and…

Project Vision To begin, I would like to reiterate my vision for this design project. My goal was to create a handmade rod that could balance the “naturalist” aesthetic with functional requirements. In the end, I wanted to fabricate a rod that I could marvel at the visual and reliably go use on the…

What a semester it has been! I am extremely impressed with how my final project turned out and I am looking forward to seeing it in action. In every project, there could always be improvements, and I certainly have a few in mine. To begin, when I tried to add the streamers to the side…

Overall I am pleased with how the project turned out. I think there is still a lot of room for improvement. Over the course of the manufacturing process I actually changed the design a bit to make it easier to manufacture so it was a very fluid design. Lots of opportunities to adjust the…

For my project, it was born out of necessity. I needed a way to stay organized on my desk at home or work. I started to think of the best way to do this. For this class it isnt about coming up with something that is new and revolutionary necessarily. It is more about how…

For my final project, I made a cup holder for my snowboard. I chose this project because snowboarding is something I love to do, and this product would enhance my overall snowboarding experience. I started with concept sketches to try to flush out what aesthetic I was going to use. Below are some concept sketches,…

I have chosen to explore the aesthetics behind different types of guitars around the world. There are many shapes and sizes out there and each has their own aesthetic appeal associated with each type. The first design is the steel string acoustic guitar. It’s a design that produces a more metallic sound due to its…

As of April 11th, I have received all of the materials required to make my snowboard cup holder. I received screws to attach the cup holder to my board and a toothbrush holder that will serve as the cup holder. I can now begin to modify the materials I have to fit my board as…

How did my original project intent translate to the final project… Overall, I am pleased with my pop-up book. The scenes are what I expected them to be and have as much detail as I had planned. It is a bit different from what I initially intended. I wasn’t sure how I was going to…

With my idea finalized, I can begin the final construction. First, I will order the materials. Second, I will modify the cup holder to attach to my snowboard. Third, I will add features to the cup holder to enhance it’s functionality and aesthetic. Below is a construction timeline that I believe will help me towards…

For my final design, I am pretty set on an final aesthetic, but I created additional ones in case I change my mind. Overall, I want to have streamers or some kind of material that would attach to the sides of the cup holder making it look as if they are flapping in the wind…

In the end, I would say that I am very happy with how my windmill turned out. I thought the finished item really looked authentic and matched the countryside aesthetic I was going for. As I mentioned in a previous post, my main inspiration for this project was an old windmill that I used to…

For my upcycle project I chose to make a box for myself made completely of this material called Corian. This is a solid surface material primarily used for making countertops and windowsills. My inspiration came from working with my dad a couple of summers ago. My dad works at a company called American installations where…

How did my expectation differ from reality… Ultimately, I am really happy with my standing garden! I think it looks great and I put a lot of work into it. Regardless, it is definitely different than I expected it to look. Originally, I planned to reuse two old discarded wooden shipping pallets and fix them…

My main project for this class was an antique jewelry box I made for a mothers day gift. Design Phase: The design phase for this project was well planned out and though through before any materials were bought. Multiple different CAD drawings were created on SolidWorks to ensure I knew what kind of box I…

First I will answer the question why? Why did I pick a jewelry box? With mother’s day coming up so quickly, I wanted to have something I could give my mom. She always liked it when I made her things myself, so I figured this the perfect opportunity to make something for her that I could…

Changes to Current Design There’s a decent amount that I would like to change about the current design of the backpack. For starters I would like to do a lot more research on shoulder strap design as the ones I have right now or not very comfortable and they are separated too far apart on…

In my WRTG 3035 class last semester, my professor arranged for the class to visit Norlin Library’s Special Collections & Archives. On display were handmade books from as early as the 16th century. There were Da Vinci sketches in giant leather bound book and small artisan books from the modern era. I wanted to make…

For my final project I wanted to recreate a clock that I have seen before, I didnt want to make a 1 to 1 replica of the clock, I wanted to do it differently. The clock that I was drawing inspiration from is as shown below: This clock is very nice and has a…

The Future of the Ski Table by: Branden Goldenberg Now that the semester is over and I have a little more time to put into this product, I will apply a few more layers of the stain and maybe even a clear coat to insure longevity of its dark color. It would be a shame…

Ski Table by: Branden Goldenberg At the start of the semester, this final project was assigned to the Aesthetics of Design class. Students were informed that there would be a very open ended design project due at the end of the semester with only one requirement, it has to be dynamic. Immediately I had the thought…

Now that the project is over, I can relax and reflect on the semester and the two projects from this class. After seeing many great projects from other students, I have been enthusiastic about creating something similar myself. I think I am happy with how my project turned out, and I will put that to…

Why? The ‘why’ question for my project can be classified into two different aspects – 1. Why did I choose to make a trebuchet? and 2. Why did choose the aesthetic I decided to go with for the trebuchet? I’ll address both the questions in the following passages of this report. Why a Trebuchet? My…

Overall, I think my project came out pretty well. I was able to successfully iterate through many designs and finalize on the one I like the most, which was also the most simple. Initially, I went with a boxed design (where the cylindrical zoetrope would sit over a box) and have a motorized function to…

This post gives a brief outline of what and how of my final project for the Aesthetics of Design class: a battle-worn looking trebuchet. A trebuchet is a siege engine used during the medieval ages. It uses a counterweight and sling action to hurl projectiles weighing up to 90 kgs for 200 meters. The Trebuchet…

Background For my project the goal is to make a desk stand to put my tablet/monitor side-by-side of my laptop, so the stand needs to fit both 12-inch and 16-inch tablet/monitor, holding about 1.5 kilogram (3.3 lbs) without breaking. Before I was using an easel to hold them, but is was too far from the desk…

My project was a dummy roping calf made out of PVC pipe. Dummy calves are used to practice roping skills, and are used by beginners and professionals. Inspirations In the rodeo, my favorite event is calf wrestling. Being able to successfully rope a calf is a very impressive skill. I recently became a casual roper…

Progress as 4/16/2017 After 3 days of camping at ITLL, printing almost 70% done! This part really doesn’t want to print… And cutting this part so it doesn’t cover the power connection, turns out cutting stuff is a lot of fun! So…looks like we are not far behind the plan! Assembling isn’t too hard so…

What’s next? Polish some of the rough edges left by the printing, make some padding on the screws so it doesn’t scratch the tablet, do something about the part for power cables, make it so I can take the tablet out without unplug first. Change in aesthetic Compared to some or my original sketches, both…

For my final project I am planning on making a steampunk themed gear clock. My original inspiration comes from a clock that I had seen that was in my dorm room my freshman year. The clock that I am basing my design off of is shown below: This clock is a little different in that…

Background The Zoetrope is one of the oldest platforms for animation. It’s origins are a little unclear, however, it was popularized in the 1900s as an artifact. Growing up, animation and cartoons were a big part of my life. I owe my ability to draw to years of watching anime and trying to replicate that….

Looking back, I am pleased with the product that I created for my final project. While it was not what I initially wanted to make, it turned out very close to what I intended from the initial design of the box. I do still want to make a few minor adjustments as far as the…

Overall I think my project went well, I hit every one of my design goals and was actually able to make my final product functional. This particularly was a concern for me early on in the project and continued until about a month ago. Early on, I went through a lot of cheap magnets…

Finishing up the MoonSkate allowed me an opportunity to reflect on the work I have done and the concepts I have picked up throughout the semester. Throughout the semester, I constrained myself to design processes that evolved and expanded in ways that I did not expect. This was especially true during the process of designing…

I knew early on that I was going to build a website, after tossing around a few other ideas but not finding something that really got me excited. What I could really use and would have fun creating would be a personal design-oriented site to showcase my artistic and professional work as well as aggregate…

To be a good calf roper, it takes hours and hours of practice on a dummy. Seeing that I am not a good calf roper, I wanted to build something to practice on so I can become a casually skilled roper. With that in mind, I decided to create something that would be a fun…

Overall I am pretty happy with how the board turned out, I didn’t think that the simplicity and overall feel of the board would live up to my expectations. However, because there has been a lot going on with life outside of this class I was unable to finish the project. This project is important…

Overall my project went very well. I was able to build a fully functional project that I will definitely use for the foreseeable future. Although my design did go through various changes due to construction issues, it still turned out great. The only aspects I head real issues with were in the alignment of the…

Effectively using butterfly knives takes a lot of skill, coordination, and patience. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and the new skills I have learned because of it, aside from learning how to flip butterfly knives which is already awesome. The final outcome of my project was far from my intent. Nevertheless I am still very happy…

This project was great because I was able to use my passion for engineering and designing alongside my curiosity to learn new skills such as spray painting and working on electronics. I chose to build an electric longboard because I have always wanted to upgrade my longboard. I knew it was going to be an…

Trying to think of final project that had a dynamic aspect took a lot of time for me. I had a lot of projects that I wanted to take on but were all static in nature. On top of that, I gave myself a personal requirement that it had to be functional so that I…

Why and what next? Expectation vs. Reality For this project as was stated in my final report part 1 i had initially set out on a different design than what i brought to expo. I had planned on soaking wood and rolling this into a nice cylinder which worked well until the wood dried out…

Why: I have always idolized Leonardo Da Vinci and have always wanted to make a model of something that he originally came up with. When I found out that the only requirement for this project was that it was dynamic, I knew immediately what I wanted to make. The idea of a perpetual motion also…

Reflection on the project My intention at the beginning of this project was to come up with an object that displays the aesthetic that I had in mind(Arabesque). In addition, I also wanted to make it a gift since I got the chance to do any project as long as the only requirement was it…

Expectation vs. Reality For starters I imagined myself having a lot more time to work on this project….that was not the case with a busy senior spring semester winding down. I do however feel that I created a project that was very close to what I expected minus a few small features that I wanted…

This project as a whole went very well, and I enjoyed presenting it at the ITLL expo. A picture of the exhibit can be seen in the featured image on this post, and the below video demonstrates the totem in a video I took at home. In general, the public reacted favorably to my project. …

Expectations vs Reality: I had planned to have a more detailed design on the outside of the casing. Due to the layering of the PLA, it was difficult to sketch out the flames that would be painted into the sides. It also kept me from placing the Harley Davidson logo on the center of the…

Chess is the ultimate game of planning. From the very first move, one must be thinking about the next move, and your opponents’ next move. As the famous hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, once said, “ A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going…

I currently have the fish tank set up in my room right now and added a lot more plants and fish. It looks amazing and definitely aesthetically pleasing. Types of Fish These are the types of fish that I have in my aquarium at the moment. I am hoping to add more to the fish…

My final project is the upside down fish tank. The idea came up because I saw a picture of a fish tank upside down inside of another. The water level was above the water line and it allowed the fish to swim up to a “lookout tower.” An image is shown below. Brainstorming Acrylic or…

4/19/17 At this time I had finished procuring the dense cardboard tube that would be the main part of the Zoetrope. 1. I finished painting on 4/2 I had never used spray paint before so I had to learn from youtube and practicing on scraps. Repeated sanding and re-painting resulted in a structure that was…

What’s next: Add inlay design: I ran out of time to be able to add a nice inlay design. And I want to make sure that I wanted rushed during that process, so later on I would like to add one. Make compartment: I haven’t made the compartment to hold a picture in. I might…

Hi all, I am really excited to share the journey of building an electric longboard! This is what the final product Balerion looks like: What is it? This is my electric longboard, Balerion. It is designed to travel at a maximum speed of 25 mph with a range of 10 miles. How did I build it?…

Why and What Next? Next with my project I plan to add some finishing touches. There are still a few spots that could use a little more sanding to ensure that all sides are perfectly smooth and flush. On the inside of the box is some pencil marks from construction that I need to go…